SES professors Derek Sawyer, Ann Cook, and Wendy Panero are using seismometers in Ohio Stadium to measure the shaking that occurs during Ohio State football games. As fans jump up and down, the vibrations are measured by seismometers and can be used as a teaching tool for students and the public about earthquake science. The team also includes professor Mike Brudzinski from Miami University, Jeff Fox and Daniel Blake from the Ohio Seismic Netowrk, Ohio Stadium facilities staff, and students.

The hazard potential of earthquakes and the science behind using seismic waves to understand Earth’s interior are core subjects taught across all levels of earth science from elementary school through higher-level graduate classes. Often though, very few students have experienced a real earthquake. This lack of intuition for the underlying physics is often a major barrier to students who might otherwise be curious.

“We’ll feature the measurements in classes, so that students can engage with real-world data and connect it to an experience many of them have had in person,” said project leader Derek Sawyer, assistant professor of earth sciences at Ohio State, who brainstormed the project with Wendy Panero, associate professor, and Ann Cook, assistant professor. “At a more advanced level, we’ll use the data to teach data reduction and collection as well as wave propagation, earthquakes and the local geology. We’ve already achieved some exciting preliminary results.”

The Seattle Seahawks measured fan quakes first, inspired by the “Beast Quake” in a 2011 playoff game during which running back Marshawn Lynch scored on a touchdown run, and the resulting celebration registered on seismographs outside Century Link Field. Sawyer and his team wanted to adopt this approach to the collegiate level. Ohio Stadium is one of the largest in the world and seats at least 30,000 more than the Seahawks’ stadium.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources operates the Ohio seismic network (OhioSeis). In recent years, hydraulic fracturing, or ‘fracking,’ of Ohio’s Utica shale, as well as wastewater injection has brought the issue of human-induced earthquakes to the forefront. As a result, more students and public are inquiring about earthquakes in Ohio. Team member Jeffrey Fox, a seismologist at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and Ohio State alumnus, said that fan quakes present a good opportunity to get people thinking about earthquake hazards in general. “As more and more people move to and live in earthquake-prone areas, they should be aware of seismic risk,” Fox said. “Even in areas such as Ohio, where the risk is low, it’s not zero.”

The team created a “FanQuakes Magnitude Scale,” which converts shaking from fans into the perceived magnitude of a naturally occurring earthquake, if one were to occur centered 10 kilometers (about 6.2 miles) below ground underneath the stadium. “We expected that the most exciting plays would make the biggest fan quakes, and that’s true,” explained Miami University seismologist Michael Brudzinski, “but sometimes the fan quakes grow even larger after the play is done, because the music starts. The music helps the fans to jump in unison, which leads to even stronger shaking of the stands.”

The team recorded 5 home games this season. The Buckeye fans saved their best for last during the Michigan game on November 26^th with a record attendance of 110,045. After Curtis Samuel’s double overtime touchdown, the stadium shook with 5.79 on the FanQuake Magnitude scale, which was the largest FanQuake recorded during the season. Other large FanQuakes during the season occurred during the Nebraska game on Nov. 5^th: Damon Webb’s interception and touchdown in the first quarter, generated a 5.1-magnitude quake and Curtis Samuel’s touchdown catch at the beginning of the second half reached a FanQuake Magnitude of 5.2.

The project has been featured in social media and several media outlets including the Columbus Dispatch, local TV stations, and ESPN. The team plans publish their results and continue the project for the 2017 season.

Image: FanQuake seismogram recorded after the game-winning play by Curtis Samuel during in the Ohio State-Michigan game on Nov. 26^th, 2016. The FanQuake magnitude eventually peaked at 5.79, which was the largest FanQuake measured during the season.

Alan Mason has been selected to receive an Undergraduate Research Scholarship by the College of Arts and Sciences Honors Committee.

Alan’s research is on the effects of underwater landslides on ocean floor brine pools using 3D seismic data. Alan recently presented his work at the 2016 Geological Society of America meeting (photo).

Well done Alan!